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International Students

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International students

Lake City Community College welcomes students from other countries! The presence of international students fosters cultural exchange, which can be beneficial to the student body and to the community at large.

The information provided on this website will help answer any questions that you may have regarding international student issues at Lake City Community College. Should you have any questions that are not answered on this website, please feel free to email the Admissions Specialist for more information.

F-1 Students

All countries have laws regulating the activities of foreign nationals within their borders; the United States is no exception. International students must obey these laws, since failure to do so could lead to deportation and failure to complete college programs. You have certain rights and responsibilities under the law. In order to maintain your legal status, it is important to understand how immigration regulations affect you. The Admissions Specialist is trained to help you understand the many regulations which apply to the F-1 student visa category. You may call, send an email, or schedule an appointment with the Admissions Specialist if you have questions regarding immigration regulations.

This page covers the following topics:

The BCIS

The BCIS is the U.S. government office which is responsible for enforcing immigration laws. BCIS is a part of the U.S. Department of Justice and has its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Passport Validation

You must keep your passport valid at all times, preferably for a minimum of six months into the future. It is recommended that you keep photocopies of the essential pages of your passport (i.e., identification page, visa stamp, etc.). Should you lose your passport, you must contact your home country's embassy or consulate in the U.S. Phone numbers are available at the consulate website: www.state.gove/www/travel/consular_offices/fco_index.html.

The Sevis I-20

The Sevis I-20 is a document used for obtaining an F-1 student entry visa at the U.S. embassy or consulate in your home country. Upon arrival in the U.S., you should presented the I-20, your passport, and the I-94 card to an immigration official at the port of entry. The official should have stamped the I-20 and the I-94 card.

Your copy of the I-20 will be used for many immigration purposes and should be kept with your passport. An I-20 must reflect the school you are currently attending, your major, and your degree program. The completion date, noted on line #5, refers to the length of time the school has given you to complete an academic program. If you need more time to finish, you must apply for a Program Extension at least 30 days before the completion date expires. Report any changes on your I-20 to the Admissions Specialist. She will prepare an updated I-20 for you.

Visa, Visa Stamp, Entry Visa

These three terms, used interchangeable, refer to the stamp in your passport which allowed you to enter the U.S. Your visa stamp does not determine how long you may remain in the U.S. The dates on the visa stamp only reflect the time period in which you will be allowed to enter the U.S. for the number of entries granted to you. You are required to renew your visa stamp only if you are planning to travel outside the U.S. and re-enter and the validity period has expired or you have used up the number of entries. It is a good idea to call in advance to find out how long the visa issuing process will take at the U.S. embassy or consulate in the country you are planning to visit.

It is impossible to get a new visa stamp within the U.S. If your visa stamp expires while you are here, it is not necessary to renew it since the visa stamp is used only for entering the country.

I-94 Arrival/Departure Record

This white card is a record of your entries and exits across the U.S. border. It should be stapled in your passport. Ordinarily, this card should not be removed from your passport unless you are departing the U.S. or if BCIS requires you to submit it for application purposes.

If you lose or misplace this card, you must apply for a new one. There is an application fee, and your new I-94 will come in the mail within three months from the date of the application.

Admission Number

This 11 digit number is your permanent identification number with the BCIS. It is printed in the upper left corner of the I-94 card. If you leave the U.S., your I-94 card will be removed from your passport. Upon re-entry to the U.S., an immigration officer at the border will give you a new card and write in your former number. Immigration regulations require that your school keep a record of this number. Do not confuse your BCIS admission number with your Social Security number, or other numbers issued to you. The admission number on your I-94 card is used for immigration purposes only.

Travel Outside the United States and Re-entry

If you plan to travel outside the U.S., your passport and visa stamp must be valid beyond the date on which you plan to re-enter the U.S. In order to re-enter the U.S., you must have the fourth page of your I-20 signed by the Admissions Specialist prior to any departure. It is each student's responsibility to make sure that s/he has all the proper documents necessary to re-enter the U.S.

Maintaining your F-1 Student Status

Listed below are the basic immigration regulations that students with F-1 Visas are required to follow while in the U.S. By following the guidelines below, you should have no problem maintaining your F-1 visa status and can therefore take advantage of the benefits available (such as work permission, practical training, etc.).

Keep your passport valid at all times
Attend the school noted on your I-20 Students are required to attend the educational Institution designated on the Form I-20. Students are expected to complete at least one semester at that Institution prior to requesting transfer to any other educational Institution. Completion of a degree program at the designated educational Institution is recommended.
Enroll full-time each semester Students are required to carry a full program of study, defined as enrolling for and completing a minimum of 12 semester credit hours per term. Full-time enrollment in the fall and spring terms meets the BCIS eligibility requirements for non-immigrant students. Summer enrollment, except for students entering in summer term, is optional. Only one Internet course will be allowed per semester.

If you are unable to maintain fulltime status, you MUST contact the International Student Advisor or Admissions Specialist.

Apply for a program extension if necessary.
Notify BCIS of any changes on the I-20.
If you change schools, complete the transfer procedures.
Limit employment to 20 hours per week while school is in session.
Do not work off campus without authorization from the DSO and BCIS.

Failure to Maintain F-1 Status

If you fail to meet the regulations listed above, you will be considered out of status. To request Reinstatement of your F-1 status, you must submit the application to BCIS. The Admissions Specialist can give you the application and assist you in this process. It is important to discuss your situation with the Admissions Specialist as soon as you discover you are out of status.

Students must not leave the United States, even for a short time, without making sure that all travel documents are valid and in their possession.
Social Security Cards will not be issued unless you will have an assistantship related to your field of study. To obtain your SSC, see the Admissions Specialist.
Breaks between terms and Spring Break are good times to travel for short periods of time. If you maintain full-time status for Spring term and will have a full-time status in the Fall term, then you can take the entire summer off. Make sure that you take all documents with you when you travel.
Canadians must be able to prove Canadian citizenship and have appropriate visa documents to re-enter the U.S. from Canada. When crossing into Canada from the U.S. the I-94 card, with the proper notification on it, should remain in the possession of the Canadian citizen.

Lake City Community College should have on file a copy of your 1-20, I-94, Passport, and Visa. Check with the International Admissions Specialist to make sure your file is complete.

I-20

A. Out-of-Country

An applicant must meet all admission requirements to include financial documentation and English proficiency requirement.
An I-20 is mailed to the prospective student. The I-20 DOES NOT guarantee the student will receive an F-1 student visa; it is merely a form guaranteeing that the student has met all requirements for admission at Lake City Community College and will be enrolled upon entry into the United States.
The prospective student will take the I-20 form to the U.S. Embassy in their home country and make an application for an F-1 student visa.
If the applicant receives an F-1 visa, the applicant will arrive in the U.S. at a port-of-entry.
Once interviewed, the applicant will receive an I-94 card which will be stamped by the U.S. customs official indicating how long the applicant may stay in the U.S. In the case of an F-1 visa holder, the I-94 will generally be stamped "D/S" which means "duration of status."

B. Institutional Transfer

An applicant must meet all admission requirements to include financial documentation and English proficiency requirements, as well as a copy of the I-20 from the current Institution and the Transfer Clearance Form which verifies enrollment while in the U.S.
Applicant will be sent an acceptance letter with a new I-20 form which must be brought back to the Admissions Office upon registering for courses.

C. Reinstatement

A student who is out of status on their current visa may still apply for admission to Lake City Community College. The student must meet all admission requirements.

Once the student is accepted, s/he will need to meet with the Admissions Specialist to discuss the issues regarding their current status in the United States.

General Information

International students may enroll in any program of study offered at Lake City Community College. To view a complete listing of programs offered at LCCC, please refer to our on-line catalog.

Lake City Community College no longer has residence halls, so international students must make their own arrangements for living accommodations and transportation. Residence Halls
International students attending Lake City Community College must pay non-resident fees.
Lake City Community College has three academic terms (fall, spring and summer) called semesters. Students are allowed to enroll full-time in all three terms.
International students DO NOT qualify for financial aid. It is very important for an international student to understand s/he is responsible for paying their own tuition, fees, books, and living expenses. Only Permanent Residents and U.S. citizens can file for financial aid.

For information about private scholarships and loans for international students, please visit the following websites:

Application for Translation
www.iefc.com
www.f1student.com
www.financialaid.com

Contact Bonnie Gootee, International Student Advisor @ gooteeb@lakecitycc.edu.

How to Apply for Admissions

Complete the Lake City Community College application for admission. You may access the application for admission here!
Submit the nonrefundable $50 application processing fee. The application fee must be paid with U.S. currency, check or money order.
Provide affidavit(s) of support from financial sponsor(s) if the student is not self-supporting. Each affidavit must include the maximum dollar amount that the sponsor will provide.
Submit a letter from the sponsor's (or student's) bank showing that funds are available for one year of support (at least $12,500 USD for tuition and fees, living expensesand miscellaneous expenses).
Submit official or certified copies of your records from high school or secondary school. English translations must accompany any records not written in English. An evaluation company must evaluate your transcripts to verify that the high school diploma is the same as earned in the United States.
If you are not a native speaker of English (regardless of the language of instruction in your home country), you must earn a minimum score of 500 on the paper version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a minimum score of 173 on the computer version. The only exception to this rule is a student who is a permanent resident of the United States.

For further information on taking the TOEFL, contact: www.toefl.org.

Contact Bonnie Gootee International Student Advisor @ gooteeb@lakecitycc.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What happens after I apply for admission?

A: Once your file is complete, all academic credentials are reviewed, and applicants are informed of the admission decision. An I-20 Form will be issued only upon the student's admission to the college.

Q: How many hours do I have to take in school?

A: International students with student (F-1) visas are required to be full-time students (at least 12 semester hours) every Fall and Spring semester of the academic year. The Summer semester is optional UNLESS it is the first semester of enrollment at Lake City Community College. The College will be required to notify the BCIS whenever a student's course load drops below full-time status.

Q: Does the Admissions Office need copies of my immigration paperwork?

A: Yes, all international students are required to report to the Admissions Office within two weeks of their arrival and have their passports, I-20 Form, and I-94 cards photocopied and placed in their files. This procedure is required by the BCIS.